Project 12700 Aleksandrit Class - Nomenclature
Aleksandr Obukhov Fleet Minesweeper
Russian mine warfare vessels are named after gem stones, as are many ship design bureaux. Project 266 minsweepers are the Aquamrine class, designed by the Almaz [Diamond] design bureau [Almaz is a vastly overused name]. Project 1265 minesweeper class are named Yakhont (Russian for ruby], 1259.2 calss are SAPFIR [saphire], 1259 are MALAKHIT [malakite], and so on.
In ancient times gem names were based principally on color. The term "ruby" was applied to all red stones: spinel, ruby, garnet, and rose tourmaline; the term "sapphire" to lapis lazuli and other blue stones; the term "topaz" to all yellow stones; and the term "emerald" to chrysocolla and all other green stones. Modern nomenclature for gems is based on the color, type locality, or an outstanding physical property of the gem. Several gems, such as uvarovite and kunsite, have been named for persons.
The Project 12700 minsweepers are named Alexandrite. Hardness and specific gravity are two of the major characteristics of gemstones. Hardness of a gemstone is its resistance to scratching and may be described relative to a standard scale of 10 minerals known as the Mohs scale. F. Mohs, an Austrian mineralogist, developed this scale in 1822. Specific gravity is the number of times heavier a gemstone of any volume is than an equal volume of water; in other words, it is the ratio of the density of the gemstone to the density of water. Diamond is hardness is 10 Mohs and specific gravity is 3.51. Alexandrite, which is red in incandescent light and green in daylight, is a Beryllium aluminum oxide Chrysoberyl (hardness: 8.5 Mohs, secific gravity: 3.68-3.78).
Ruby, spinel, emerald, sapphire, star sapphire, star ruby, rutile, and quartz are gem stones that have been successfully synthesized. A reddish-green stone known as synthetic alexandrite is actually synthetic corundum or synthetic spinel. Chrysoberyl has not been synthesized. A stone of simple chemical composition generally is more easily synthesized than one of complex composition.
Chrysoberyl ranges in color from shades of yellow and brown to bluish green and deep olive green. Alexandrite, the greenish variety, has strong dichroism in columbine red, orange yellow, and emerald green. Cat's -eye or cymophane is a cloudy variety that is opalescent when properly oriented and cut en cabochon. Shades of yellow are caused by the presence of iron, and shades of green are probably caused by chromium. Chrysoberyl occurs in twinned, tabular crystals that lack brilliance. It is a hard gem stone, ranking 8. 5 on Moh's scale. Cat's -eye is cabochon-cut, whereas alexandrite is brilliant- or step-cut. Chrysoberyl is a rare mineral that occurs in granitic rocks, silicic pegmatites, and mica schist. Most gem varieties, however, have been found in alluvial deposits derived therefrom.
Minesweeper (serial number 521) was laid September 22, 2011 and given the name "Alexander Obukhov" in honor of Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Afanasevich Obukhov (1917-2009), lieutenant-commander, commander of the 2nd armored division Guard patrol ships water district main base of the Baltic Fleet, participated in during the Great Patriotic War in 138 sea battles.
The minesweeper "Alexander Obukhov" is not named after Aleksandr Mikhailovich Obukhov, Soviet geophysicist and Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1970; corresponding member, 1953). He was born May 5, 1918, in Saratov, and died 03 December 1989. He finished high school in 1934 but could not write the entrance examination of Saratov University because he was too young. He is the author of fundamental works toward a hydrodynamic theory of short-term weather forecasting. Obukhov was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor and various medals.
Nor was it named after Alexander Vasilyevich Obukhov, the 19th century notable after whom the 'Aleksandr Obukhov', an "Andrey Zakharov" type fishery Canning Mother Ship (project 398) was name [this ship capsized at Vladivostok on May 04, 1982].
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